Permanent waving apparatus



March 9, 1937.

H. N DURHAM El AL PERMANENT WAVING APPARATUS Filed June 21, 1933 INVENTORS M N Durham.

Patented Mar. 9, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PERMANENT WAVING APPARATUS York Application June 21, 1933, Serial No. 676,788

8 Claims.

The present invention relates to permanent waving and more particularly to a novel and improved process oi! and apparatus for subjecting a wound tress of hair to heat, moisture and other agents to eflect permanent waving thereof.

Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part hereinafter and in part will be obvious herefrom, or may be learned by practice with the invention, the same being realized and 1 attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention consists in the novel parts, con structions, arrangements, combinations and improvements herein shown and described.

The accompanying drawing, referred to herein and constituting a part hereof, illustrates one embodiment of the invention, and together with the description, serves to explain the principles of. the invention.

Of the drawing:

Figure 1 is a cross section illustrating a typical embodiment of the present invention and also showing the manner in which the process of the present invention is carried out;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the embodiment shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an end elevation ofv the embodiment shown in Figure 2, with certain parts moved to different positions, and other parts being omitted;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a heating and lotion-carrying pad for use in practicing the present invention, with certain parts broken away; and

Figure 5 is a cross section through a modified embodiment of the invention.

The present invention has for its object the provision of a novel and improved heating device for heating wound tresses of hair in the permanent waving process. Another object of the invention is the provision of such a device in which the heater elements are inexpensive, readily renewed and adapted to be used but a single time. A further object is the provision of a heater element moistened with a permanent waving lotion or fluid and adapted to be pressed into intimate contact with the wound tress of hair. Still another object of the invention is the provision of a novel and improved process of heating the wound tress and subjecting it to the action of moisture and other softening agent.

In accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the invention, the heating apparatus comprises a pair of parti-cylindrical members adapted to surround and be pressed together against the 5 wound tress of hair, and means are preferably provided for securing a lotion saturated pad within the concavity formed by said members so that it is pressed into intimate contact with the hair and insures efficient application of heat and moisture to the wound tress. Preferably, and as 5 embodied, the heating element comprises an electrolytic heater in which the electric circuit is completed by the ionized hair waving lotion, so that all of the advantages of the electrolytic hair waving process are fully realized. 10

Athough the invention is shown in connection with the waving of. hair wound in croquignole fashion, the invention is equally applicable in its principal features to hair which is wound helically or from the roots towards the ends. 15

It will be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description as well are exemplary and explanatory of the invention but are not restrictive thereof.

Referring now in detail to the illustrative em- 20 bodiment of the invention as shown in the accompanying drawing, the heating pad preferably comprises a sheet of relatively thin metal foil III, a slightly larger sheet of moisture-absorbent material II, such as flannel or felt, and 5 a sheet of perforate metal foil I2 which may be provided with a projecting terminal or tab I3 formed integrally with the sheet I2. If desired, one edge of the absorbent sheet may be folded over the edge of the foil I2 to provide an insulated 30 margin l4, and a narrow strip of absorbent material or paper l5 may be provided along the opposite edge of foil I2. The several pieces are assembled in the position shown in Figure 4, with the absorbent sheet II positioned between the 5 metallic foils III and I2, and the marginal strips I4 and I5 secured to the foil I! on its side away from the absorbent material II by lines of stitching l6 and I1. If desired, and in order to separate the perforate foil I2 from the hair to 40 be waved, a sheet of thin paper, perforated in register with the foil I2 and secured thereto, may

be provided on the side of the foil away from the absorbent material II.

As is usual in the croquignole waving of hair, 45 the hair is wound from the points to its roots on the curling rod or pin 20, and is clamped closely adjacent to the scalp between the clamping members 2| and 22. The roller and clamp may be of the conventional or any desired form, and 50 need not be described in detail. The curling pin 20 is preferably slightly longer than the sheet of absorbent material II, and the absorbent sheet II is preferably of sufflcient width to extend from clamping member 22 around the wound '55 tress of hair and to the clamping member 22, as shown in Figure 1 of the drawing.

Means are provided for pressing the curl heating pad into close contact with the wound tress of hair to be waved, and for maintaining it on the wound tress during the heating process. For this purpose, a clamp is provided which comprises a pair of parti-cylindrical members 25 and 26 formed of molded insulating material, pivoted together by means of a pivot pin 21, and pressed inwardly by means of springs 28 secured at their ends to members 25 and 25 by headed pins 29.

One of the members, 25, is provided with a handle portion 30 formed integrally therewith, and having suitable channels 38 through which wires 32 may be threaded. Channel 3| is provided with an enlarged portion 33 to receive the metal clamp 34 clamping the wires 32 together and serving to prevent any pull being transmitted beyond it to the ends of the wires. The small knob 35 is fastened, by suitable screws, to the upper portion of handle member 39.

Means are also provided for supplying power to the sheets of foil l9 and I2, and for this purpose a resilient contact member 40 is embedded in a suitable recess in member 26, and is connected with one of the wires 32 by means of rivet 44 which also serves to secure the contact member in position to contact with the outer sheet of foil II]. For contacting with the terminal tab l3 formed integrally with the sheet of foil I 2, a metallic sheet 45 is provided on the outer surface of member 25 and is secured thereto by rivets 46, also being connected to the other wire 32. Means are provided for pressing the terminal l3 into electrical contact with sheet 45, and for this purpose a finger 41 is pivotally mounted in lugs 48 projecting from member 25, by means of pivot pin 49, and is provided with a camming surface 59 adapted to cooperate with a resilient tongue 5| formed integrally with plate 45. (Jamming surface 59 and tongue 5| cooperate to hold finger 41 in the position shown in Figure l, or in the position of Figure 3.

In use, the absorbent member H of the curl heating pad is moistened with a suitable amount of an electrolytically conducting lotion, and the curl-heating pad is then placed within the members 25 and 26 with tab l3 held against plate 45 by finger 41, the pad being shaped with the fingers so as to conform more or less to the shape of the inner surface of members 25 and 26. The clamping members 25 and 26 are then pushed over the wound tress of hair, spreading themselves apart slightly and finally pressing the edges of the heating pad together into the position shown by Figure 1. The current is then turned on, and passes between the sheets of foil l0 and I2 and through the electrolytically conducting hair waving lotion contained in the absorbent sheet II, the resistance to the passage of this current serving to heat the lotion and thereby steam the curl. When the curl has been steamed for a sufiicient length of time, the current is shut off, the clamp and pad removed and the permanently waved hair may then be treated in the usual manner.

If desired, the sheet of foil Il] may be omitted from the heating pads and may be replaced by thicker metallic electrodes 56 and 5'! adapted to form a more or less permanent part of the clamping means and secured to the inner, concave faces of members 25 and 26 by rivets 55, as shown in Figure 5. Electrode 56 is connected to one wire 32 by rivet 44 and is connected to the other electrode 51 by rivets 58 and flexible connector 59. Electrodes 56 and 51 may, conveniently, be formed of a metal such as lead.

The invention is shown as particularly adapted for use in connection with the process of electrolytically heating permanent waving heating pads, but in certain of its features the invention is also applicable to other permanent waving processes, and in particular to those processes utilizing a flexible metallic resistance element in the heating pads.

The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific mechanisms shown and described but departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the accompanying claims without departing from the principles of the invention and without sacrificing its chief advantages.

What we claim is:

l. A heating appliance for the permanent waving of living human hair including in combination a clamp to be positioned around and closely adjacent to a wound tress, a pair of electrodes conforming in general to the shape of the wound tress and absorbent moisture-containing material separating said electrodes and pressed into contact therewith when said clamp is positioned on said tress, means for attaching the electrodes and absorbent material to the clamp in electrolytically conducting relation prior to positioning the clamp about the tress.

2. A heating appliance for the permanent waving of living human hair including in combination a clamp to be positioned around and closely adjacent to a wound tress, a pair of electrodes and absorbent material separating said electrodes and pressed into contact therewith when said clamp is positioned on said tress, said absorbent material being adapted to conduct current between said electrodes and through said material when said material is moistened and means for attaching the electrodes and absorbent material to the clamp in electrolytically conducting relation prior to positioning the clamp on the tress.

3. A permanent waving appliance including in combination a clamp adapted to embrace a wound tress of hair, an electrolytic lotion-applying and heating device, and means for seating and holding said device within the clamp whereby the clamp and said device may be simultaneously placed about the tress.

4. A permanent waving appliance including in combination a clamp adapted to embrace a wound tress of hair, a pliant, deformable, electrolytic lotion-applying and heating device, and means for seating and holding said device within the clamp whereby the clamp and said device may be simultaneously placed about the tress.

5. A permanent waving appliance including in combination a clamp adapted to embrace a wound tress of hair, a pliant, deformable, electrolytic lotion-applying and heating device, and means for seating and holding said device within the clamp whereby the clamp and said device may be simultaneously placed about the tress and terminals carried by the clamp for bringing electric power to said electrolytic device.

6. A permanent waving appliance including in combination an arcuate clamp having electric circuit terminals and adapted to embrace a wound tress of hair, an electrolytic lotion-applying and heating device comprising an absorbent lotioncontaining sheet interposed between electrode sheets. and means for attaching the electrodes ill to said terminals and seating the electrolytic device within the clamp prior to applying the clamp and heating device to the tress.

'7. A hair waving device including in combination a pliant lotion applicator and heater adapted to be applied to a wound curl including a lotioncarrying sheet member interposed with two electrode sheets, and a clamp adapted to close about the lotion applicator to compress it against the curl, the clamp having contacts adapted to contact with the electrode sheets and circuit wires connected to the clamp.

8. Permanent waving mechanism for heating and steaming a croquignole-wound curl including in combination a rod for supporting the wound curl, protecting means between said rod and the scalp, a lotion applicator and heater comprising lotion absorbent means and spaced-apart electrodes, at least one of which is pliable and compressible and adapted to be placed in a horseshoe shape about the portion of the curl which lies exposed above the protecting means, a clamping device adapted to overlie substantially the entire surface of said electrode about the curl and to compress and retain the electrode closely in contact with the curl and the lotion, and means connected with said clamp for connecting the electrodes to terminals of opposite polarities.

HOBART N. DURHAM. GEORGE B. FINNEGAN, JR. 

